Life is a journey with many obstacles to overcome. How we handle those obstacles is what makes us who we are. When we are little, our parents teach us values we will use for life. When we are teenagers, our friends teach us how to fit in with society. When we are adults, religion teaches us how to be set apart from the norm of society. For some, those stages happen sooner, for others they happen later and for still others they may never happen at all. This is my story.
Growing up, I had a very abusive family. I rarely came out of my room. When I did it was to go to school or the library. Because of my family, I was very shy. I was also small so I was always being picked on by the school bully called Mouse. I managed to survive though. At home I read as much as I could. I had a great imagination and often went on fantasy adventures. I fought innumerable dragons, traveled to far away places, and conquered many nations. One day while day dreaming on the way to school a car hit me. Before I blacked out, I saw the driver was drinking a can of beer. When I woke up I was back in my bed; my cradle was by the opposite wall. My parents seemed worried and did all they could to make me comfortable. Maybe deep inside they did care for me.
They quietly left and I was alone again. I went to sleep rather quickly. I was woken up by some noises outside my door early in the morning. I looked over and saw that my cradle was gone. I went out my door only to find that I was standing in front of a large castle. When I turned around to go back, the door was missing. To guards came to me and dragged me inside. They threw me at the feet of the king. I was about to ask what was going on but then I realized that the king was Mouse. He informed me that in order to leave I had to find my cradle by going through his maze. The guards then led me to the entrance to the maze. After many twists, turns, and dead ends I found it. King Mouse then had his guards lead me back to the door to my house. When I opened it lights blinded me. When my eyes finally adjusted I realized I was in a hospital. My parents looked at me with sad eyes. Then they asked each other how they were going to pay for it and started arguing. The drive home was very quiet. I didn’t realize what the dream meant until years later.
I was thirteen when I figured it out. That cradle was my childhood and I needed to somehow find it. My parents showed only hate and hate I had now become. Because Mouse was the king of that castle I knew he was the cause of my problems. Maybe he wasn’t but someone had to pay for my misery. Mouse would never pick on me again. One the first day of school I saw him and began walking towards him. When I reached him, I said nothing and just slugged him. I didn’t care that I was smaller or that I might be killed. Maybe I would be better off dead. I just wanted him to feel pain. My fury flew as my fists hit him over and over. He was gasping on the ground before I quit. I had a triumphant look in my eyes when I looked around, only to see everyone else frowning with disapproval at me. I hung my head realizing I hadn’t shown how much better I was, but how much worse. The only friend I knew I could ever make was now lying on the ground groaning. We did become friends shortly after. We didn’t become better people but only worse. That summer we decided I would be kidnapped, he would collect the ransom, return me and we would share the money. It would have worked if it weren’t for a teenager turned detective. We spent the next 4 years in juvenile hall. I had just wasted my chance of ever being happy. I just wanted it to end.
After 4 years of work and more work we were let out. 17 years had been wasted. No one cared about me, not even me anymore. The only thing I had done for society was clean their streets. I quietly walked to a bridge going over some tracks. I waited quietly for a train to come. When one finally was heard I watched as it drew near. I stepped up onto the ledge and prepared myself to jump. If the fall didn’t kill me they train would. I thought back on my life and knew no one would miss me. I had no purpose in life. As I began to jump a homeless man with a kind smile gently pulled me down. When I looked at him I wondered why he was still alive. He sat me down and began talking about himself. I listened as he told about his troubled life and how he just kept going always waiting for life to be better. He said he got his strength from God. He told me all about him and I realized that someone did care. I wondered why. He was so powerful why would one life care to him. I realized that I must have some meaning in my life. Listening to that man, I knew that I could find that meaning. I am now living with him and working trying to earn enough money to live on my own and make something of myself. I haven’t seen my parents since and I never plan to see them again.
Parents, peers, and the casual person all have the potential to change a child’s life. How you use that potential can destroy or build up a person. As a result of the happening in my life I have become someone who can relate to anyone. I’m still not too outgoing but I’m not all too shy either. I know I’ll never be like my parents and I know I’ll never be like Mouse. Most importantly I know I can make something of myself. That’s something every teenager should be sure of.